Erebus has thus far only confirmed that he will miss Event 1 at Bathurst, but the consensus within the paddock is that the West Australian will not return to the team at all.
Courtney, himself no stranger to dramatic team splits, outlined his advice to Kostecki in a recent conversation with his fellow Supercars champion.
“Look, it’s tough,” said the veteran.
“He’d been through a little tough period. I’ve been in this game a long time – I’ve been through a similar situation to what Brodie is going through – so I just said to him, he’s got to make the right decision for him because he’s the only one that has to live with that decision.
“So, everyone around him is going to have their own agenda, so it’s only down to him so I’m sure he’ll make the right choice for himself.
“Look, it’s going to be a tough call, but I’m sure he will come out a better person out of it.”
Courtney moved from Dick Johnson Racing to the Walkinshaw Holden Racing Team immediately after a fairytale 2010 championship triumph with the former.
His decision to leave was a result of an ownership crisis which threatened DJR’s future, and the Penrith native controversially took the #1 plate with him to the HRT.
Adding spice though, were the signs that he was all but certain to land at Tickford Racing (nee: Ford Performance Racing), only to instead head to the rival factory team.
In Kostecki’s case, the circumstances appear different, although there are certain parallels in making a difficult call to leave a team with which one has just one/is just about to win the championship for the first time.
Courtney will be, driving for the Blanchard Racing Team with rookie team-mate Aaron Love.